Super Bowl TV Spot for M. Night Shyamalan’s THE LAST AIRBENDER

Following yesterday’s Super Bowl spot for Shutter Island, Paramount has now released [via UGO] their 30-second ad for The Last Airbender, and I’m not sure it was worth the $2.6 million they paid to CBS for that 30 seconds of airtime.  Basically, you have super-serious voice-over guy and special effects involving wind, water, fire, and earth (further proving that the kid with the “Heart” ring on Captain Planet totally got screwed), and then you have M. Night Shyamalan’s name as a selling point.

Granted, the movie doesn’t have any “name” stars, but it’s a serious question about what Shyamalan’s name means at this point.  As awful as it was, The Happening grossed $163 million worldwide (est. budget $48 million) and The Village grossed $256 million (est. budget $60 million).  But this is easily Shyamalan’s most expensive movie yet and one Paramount wants to transform into a franchise.  The stakes are massive and Shyamalan hasn’t cracked $100 million domestic since The Village in 2004.  It’s a turning point in his career and I hope it turns towards him working as a successful director who gets more into the action side of filmmaking rather than make thrillers that don’t thrill.

Hit the jump to check out the spot along with the official synopsis.  The Last Airbender hits theaters on July 2nd.

For those just tuning in, here’s the official synopsis for The Last Airbender:

Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Four nations tied by destiny when the Fire Nation launches a brutal war against the others. A century has passed with no hope in sight to change the path of this destruction. Caught between combat and courage, Aang (Noah Ringer) discovers he is the lone Avatar with the power to manipulate all four elements. Aang teams with Katara (Nicola Peltz), a Waterbender, and her brother, Sokka (Jackson Rathbone), to restore balance to their war-torn world.

Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action feature film “The Last Airbender” is the opening chapter in Aang’s struggle to survive.